The present invention relates generally to radio frequency (RF) transmitting stations, and more particularly, to an RF amplifier network in which a plurality of RF amplifiers are connected in a redundant net to increase the reliability of each amplifier in the net and the overall reliability of the base station.
Base stations used in cellular communication networks typically utilize a plurality of RF amplifiers for effecting transmissions. Because each RF amplifier has an independent power supply unit, failure of the power supply unit renders the RF amplifier associated with the failed unit inoperable. It would therefore be desirable to interconnect the RF amplifiers in such a way that failure of a power supply unit would not shut down the associated RF amplifier. Similarly, it would be beneficial if the RF amplifiers could be connected in such a manner that any amplifier in the network could be disconnected if the amplifier exhibited a failure mode indicated when the current drawn by that amplifier either falls below a predetermined minimum threshold value, or the current drawn by the unit exceeds a predetermined maximum threshold. In this manner, a failed amplifier could be replaced without disrupting the output of the overall system.